


The Girl Falls

by poisontaster



Category: Heroes (TV)
Genre: Dark, Gen, Injury, Insanity, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Triple Drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-12
Updated: 2007-01-12
Packaged: 2018-02-15 18:53:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2239698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisontaster/pseuds/poisontaster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Does she look like a damned hero to you?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Girl Falls

**Author's Note:**

> The thing that strikes me about Claire's power is that, like Wolverine, she still feels pain when hurt. And I thought about what that would be like, as years go by. And then I took a left turn and this is where I wound up.

The girl falls. Claire catches her. She doesn't have super-strength like Bobby; both her arms fracture with a noise like branches breaking. The pain is like razor edged lightning. By the time she lowers the girl and straightens, the bones are already knitting together, deep itching almost as bad as the break.

"Oh, _thank you!_ " the girl sobs, throwing her arms around Claire's waist.

Claire smiles tautly and disentangles the girl from her gently, pushing her back a few steps. With the girl's thin wrists still in her grip, Claire _twists_ and hears the bones shatter.

The girl screams. Claire smiles.

? ? ?

The house burns. Man's trapped inside. Zahara, with her command of water and ice, is elsewhere, next door. John, with his impervious skin is in Utah, Bankok, somewhere. Somewhere that's not here. There's only Claire.

It's not like the first time. Each sear burns a ghost on her nerve endings, lingering so long after the actual pain. She feels no delight as she drags the man out, using her own flesh as sacrifice for his.

It does make her laugh, though, when she roasts his hand to a charred lump over a flame while they wait for the paramedics.

???

On the outside, she looks like what she is; a girl—young woman—smooth, pretty and unblemished. On the outside, she looks sun-kissed and carefree.

Outsides lie. Outsides always lie.

Look at her so-called 'father'.

Inside, she feels ninety, minimum. Older than dirt. Older than time. She must be, to ache like this, constant throb, constant stab, constant pain.

The doctors say there's nothing wrong.

_It hurts, it hurts!_

_Claire, it's all in your head._

What the fuck do they know?

What do any of them know?

Save the world, Jesus.

Does she look like a damned hero to you?  



End file.
